


here's to loving life

by rvnqn



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Dangan Ronpa AU, Execution, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, i gotta jump on that bandwagon, its such a good au, will add tags when things become relevant, yes i know other people have done this but listen, your faves and my faves will probably die and im really sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-23 06:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8317495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rvnqn/pseuds/rvnqn
Summary: They all thought this would simply be a normal day at school. That nothing bad would happen. After all, besides Eichi ruling over Yumenosaki with a fist of iron and cheerful facade, the academy was a safe space for everyone. But, oh, how they were wrong. So, so wrong.--Ensemble Stars Dangan Ronpa AU!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Danganstars!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335202) by [serenlty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenlty/pseuds/serenlty). 



> yeah im not gonna lie i was totally inspired by the Dangan Stars! fic by lissa_rt. it's just so good!!!! however, i did wanna give my own shot at this au, mostly because i love and hate danganronpa with a passion. feedback is encouraged and appreciated!!

They all thought this would simply be a normal day at school. That nothing bad would happen. After all, besides Eichi ruling over Yumenosaki with a fist of iron and cheerful facade, the academy was a safe space for everyone. But, oh, how they were wrong. So, so wrong.

* * *

 

It was a normal day. Or, at least, at first it was normal.

 

Ritsu yawned as he walked through the gate into the academy’s grounds. He had overslept that morning, and he was late. At least, he thought he was late. He was never really sure. Time was just an abstract concept to him.

 

Of course, it didn’t help that he napped most of the day away. In reality, he wasn’t too late; only by a minute or two. His good-for-nothing older brother had left by the time he woke up, though he did not hesitate to send him a slew of sickly-sweet messages telling him to get ready.

 

It made him sick.

 

Regardless, as the black-haired boy brought a hand to his mouth in another loud yawn, he started to feel strangely… Dizzy. Lucid, even.

 

“Wh…?” The younger Sakuma brought his hand to his forehead, stumbling slightly. His vision was darkening and he felt faint, but he had no idea know why. Was he coming down with something? Was his neglect to eat a proper breakfast that morning getting to him?

 

He had no answer.

  
Ritsu was only left with a sense of confusion before he fell down, blacking out entirely.

* * *

 

When he next woke, he found himself in a room with other people. People he recognized.

 

He was in a room with approximately half of Yumenosaki’s Idol Course.

 

Looking around, he desperately searched for his unit and Mao, rushing over when he spotted Tsukasa and Arashi huddled together for support - though it was more Arashi coddling the first year as the redhead looked absolutely terrified and confused over what was going on.

 

“Natchan, Suuchan, are you two okay..? Where are we? Where's Secchan and Ou-sama?” Ritsu’s sleepy voice was filled with worry. He had no idea how they all ended up here, and the fact that Leo and Izumi were currently not with the other two made him worry even more.

 

“We're fine, Ritsu-chan. As for Izumi-chan…” Arashi trailed off, her eyes averting to the side as Tsukasa shakily pointed to the wall behind Ritsu, eyes full of fear.

 

“Look…!”

 

Ritsu hesitated for a moment, slowly turning to look behind him.

 

What he saw next was the most nightmarish scene he was sure he would ever see.

 

Izumi - at least, what was once Izumi - was pinned to the wall by multiple large, sharp spears, his face cut and disfigured beyond recognition, arms spread out so the gashes on his arms were visible. If one looked closer, one could see his entrails visible through the wounds on his stomach. Whoever did this to him must have really had a grudge against the third year.

 

The sight made Ritsu sick to his stomach.

 

“As for Ou-sama… We don't know!! I'm worried sick about him!” The blonde furrowed her brows in distress, holding onto the first year tightly.

 

Suddenly, a monitor on the northern wall flickered on, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

 

“ _Good morning, my dear idols! I'm sure all of you in Room A have noticed what happened to your little friend by now. So sad, isn't it? He was actually the first of you all to wake up! However, he tried to escape while you all were asleep… How rude! So I simply decided to give him proper punishment! A shame… He could have lived. Though, considering some people in this school… He probably wouldn't have lived too long!! Ahaha~!_ ”

 

There was an indistinguishable silhouette on the monitor, a cheery, distorted voice explaining the chilling details and circumstance of Izumi’s death. Koga was the first to pipe up in protest, anger in his voice and hostility in his tone.

 

“Oi, the fuck’s goin’ on?! What d’ya mean by ‘probably wouldn't have lived to long’?!” The self-styled ‘wolf’ of UNDEAD snarled at the figure on the monitor, glaring intently at them, to which the unknown person only clicked their tongue in response.

 

“ _Now now, you silly mutt, if you would shut up, I'd gladly explain!_ ” Koga begrudgingly stopped talking, but continued to glare, Ritsu’s brother coming up behind him and gingerly putting a hand on his shoulder as the figure continued speaking, “ _I brought you all here to play a little, ah, ‘game’. It's a simple one, really!_ _You're all trapped here in your school building. It's your goal to leave here and ‘graduate’! Here's the catch, though-_ ”

 

The words that left the figure caused a chill to run down everyone's spines.

 

“ _Most of you won't leave alive._ ”

 

Hajime spoke up next. “Wh-what do you mean by that, exactly…?”

 

The voice laughed, “ _You're all going to kill each other, of course! And it'll all be filmed and broadcast on live television! Isn't that exciting? Japan’s most promising idol units at each other's throats… The thought makes my heart pound with excitement!_ _Of course, that won't be all. When someone kills another person, three people have to find the body before the investigation starts. During the investigation, you have two hours to find as much evidence as you can to pinpoint the killer! After the investigation is the class trial!_ ”

 

Everyone in the room looked at each other, an uneasy feeling filling the room.

 

“ _During the class trial, it will be your task to find the killer and bring them to justice! However, if you can't do that…_ ”

 

The monitor switched to an image of several generic figures. All but one figure fell over, cartoonish x’s over their eyes to show they were dead, a spotlight on the remaining figure, confetti falling around them.

 

“ _Then I'll punish everyone but the killer for your failures, and the killer will be allowed to walk out of the building free of charge! If you succeed in finding the killer…_ ”

 

The image on the monitor changed again, changing to the same generic figures, but one was being dragged off the screen as they looked scared and distressed.

 

“ _Then the killer will receive punishment, and everyone will be allowed to continue living! Of course, I know it's tempting to not kill anyone, so that's why I decided to provide a motive to sweeten the pot and encourage you all to kill each other! After all, it'd make for boring television if you all just stayed alive and did nothing…_ ”

 

Koga snarled again, snapping at the voice once more, “Asshole!! Let us the fuck outta here!! Like hell we’d fall for some sorta shitty deal you're offering!”

 

Rei held onto his shoulder tighter, looking at him with a mildly distressed look, a look Ritsu thought he wouldn't see on his brother’s face. Normally, he was good at keeping his composure. “Doggie, be quiet, yelling at them won't solve anything.”

 

The second year glared at the ‘vampire’, but obeyed him nonetheless. The older boy made a point, after all.

 

“ _Now, I'm sure most of you have noticed that not all of you are currently present. You may be missing some unit mates, or friends, or family, or perhaps even a lover! Don't worry, they aren't hurt. However, you will be separated for the time being until one of you kills! So if you can't bear to be apart from your loved ones, then get killing~!_ ”

 

It was only then Ritsu noticed the lone member of 2wink in the room, shaking and crying. He wanted to say it was Hinata from the pink hair clips and headphones. “Let me see my brother!! I d-don't wanna hurt anyone!!”

 

“ _Oh! Before I forget! Between the two groups, you each have half of Yumenosaki Academy to yourselves! You have each been given a special e-ID with all the rules listed and your student information. Read them on your own time. Ta ta~_ ”

 

With that, the monitor shut off, and Ritsu took a moment to survey who was in the room with him. Of course, there was Arashi, Tsukasa, Hinata, his brother, Hajime, and Koga, but upon a better inspection, he noticed that in addition to them, Hokuto, Shinobu, Tetora, Chiaki, Kanata, Souma, Keito, Natsume, Yuzuru, Wataru, and Mitsuru were here as well. He winced.

 

Mao was on the other side of the building.

 

Arashi looked at Ritsu, noticing his expression with a worried frown. “Ah, are you worried about Isara-kun..?” She reached out, placing a gentle hand on the black-haired boy’s shoulder as he nodded. “I'm sure he'll be okay…! Please don't worry too much. We'll all be okay.” The other second year pulled Ritsu into a hug, holding both him and Tsukasa close. “We should stick together, okay? Let's find a room to stay in for the time being. We'll read the rules of this whole thing there.”

 

Tsukasa gave a small nod, still relatively shaken from the whole ordeal. “Y-yes. That sounds like a _marvelous_ idea, Narukami-senpai…” He tried his best to give his senior a smile, but it was forced and awkward.

 

Ritsu nodded in agreement nonetheless. “Yeah, Natchan… We should get going.”

 

“Right. Let's go!” Arashi released them from the hug, pulling them along by the hands, walking out of the room to see a large steel wall separating the building. So they really were separated…

 

A small frown adorned Ritsu’s face. Seeing the wall made him feel disheartened. If someone didn't kill soon… No. He really should not let those thoughts go to his head. He shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head to clear his mind, trying to focus on the familiar grip of Arashi’s hand.

 

Eventually, they decided to hide out in Classroom 3-A, Arashi pulling out her e-ID to look over the rules. Tsukasa and Ritsu pulled out their own, reading them alongside the blonde.

 

 

  * _Students may only reside on the school grounds. Leaving school grounds is forbidden during the game._


  * _From 10PM to 7AM, otherwise known as night time, certain areas of the campus are off limits. Entering forbidden areas during night time is a punishable offense. These areas are the Auditorium, the Gym, the Roof, the Cafeteria, and the Courtyard._


  * _You are free to explore Yumenosaki Academy at your discretion during daytime, though there are minor restrictions._


  * _Destroying monitors and surveillance cameras is strictly forbidden and a punishable offense._


  * _Anyone who murders a fellow student will graduate unless discovered._


  * _Once a murder takes place, you will be allowed two hours of investigation before the class trial starts._


  * _The body must be discovered by three people in order for the investigation to start._


  * _Participation in the class trial is mandatory for all living students._


  * _If the murderer is exposed during the class trial, the alone will be executed. Only one culprit may be executed, so therefore any accomplices will not be executed alongside the culprit._


  * _If the guilty party is not exposed during trial, the rest of the students will be executed._


  * _The culprit can only kill a maximum of two people at a time to prevent a mass murder._


  * _Loaning your e-ID to other students is prohibited._


  * _Entering restricted areas of any sort is prohibited and a punishable offense._


  * _Additional rules can be added and amendments to any rules can be made at any time._


  * _Breaking the rules will result in immediate punishment and execution._



 

 

Ritsu looked at the screen, brows furrowed. These rules seemed extremely excessive and specific, and the fact that breaking them resulted in instant execution seemed sort of unfair. No, scratch that. Extremely unfair. The sleepy boy looked over at Arashi, who was still reading over the rules. “Natchan, you don't think they actually expect us to kill each other, do you..?”

 

The blonde turned her gaze up at Ritsu, lips pursed before opening them to reply, then quickly closing her mouth in hesitation. She had no idea how to answer. “Ah, well… It's a possibility. A sad one, but a possibility nonetheless.”

 

Tsukasa finished reading up the rules, putting away his e-ID before slowly sinking to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest as he let out a small sniffle, trying to stay quiet as he started crying. Sniffles quickly turned into sobs, however. “Narukami-senpai… Ritsu-senpai… I-I don't want to die!! I want to keep living!! For my family and friends!!”

 

Arashi and Ritsu looked at each other, worried for the first year in front of them. Neither of them were sure on what to say.

 

Arashi hesitated for a moment as she turned towards Tsukasa, crouching down in front of the redhead. “Tsukasa-chan, I promise you, you won't die. You have Ritsu-chan and I to keep you safe!” She gave the first year a reassuring smile, petting the younger boy’s hair the same way a mother would pet her child’s hair.

 

Tsukasa sniffed, looking up at Arashi with puffy, red, tearful eyes. “D-do you promise…?”

 

She nodded in response. “Yes. I promise.”

 

The first year hugged Arashi tightly, crying into her shoulder. “Thank you, N-Narukami-senpai…!”

 

A sigh left the blonde, hugging Tsukasa with a small smile. “You're welcome, Tsukasa-chan. C’mon, let's get some rest. It's been a very long day.”

 

The redhead nodded, pulling away from the hug. “You're right. We need to gather up the strength for tomorrow. Who knows what we might face.”

 

The three settled down in the classroom, gathering what they could find from unoccupied rooms to make makeshift beds for themselves. Of course, it wasn't much; a few towels and the thin curtains from the nurse’s office. They would do, at the very least.

  
Predictably, Jin was nowhere to be seen when they visited. It was strange, having the nurse’s office be empty like that. While Jin was not exactly the most responsible of people, his company was enjoyable at times. He was a very laidback man, easy to talk to. Having the nurse's office without him was… Surreal.

* * *

Ritsu laid back on his ‘bed’, lazily staring and messing with his e-ID. The functions were incredibly limited, and it was comparable to an older smartphone, so it was not like he could do much with it.

 

It did come with a few preprogrammed apps, though, but none of them were inherently useful at first glance aside from a camera and evidence log. There was a calculator, a map, the student directory, a clock, a timer… Nothing of much use.

 

The black-haired boy sighed and yawned, putting his e-ID away, staring up at the ceiling. An announcement played, telling the students it was night time. As much as he would like to, he found himself unable to sleep. He turned towards Arashi and Tsukasa, finding the first year was asleep while the other second year was awake like he was.

 

“Hey, Natchan…?”

 

The blonde blinked, turning towards her unit mate.

 

“Yes, Ritsu-chan?”

 

“... Please stay alive.”

 

“I will. I promise you.”

 

Hearing that from the former model was reassuring, a relieved smile on his face. He reached his hand out, placing it over hers.

 

“Thanks, Natchan…”

 

Arashi smiled softly, gently taking Ritsu’s hand in her own, holding it with a slightly tight grip.

 

“You're welcome, Ritsu-chan…”

 

The two closed their eyes, hand in hand as sleep finally came over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that was the first chapter of 'here's to loving life'! i hope you all enjoyed it! and again, criticism is totally welcome and encouraged, and i could use all the help i can get when it comes to writing characters.  
> also rip izumi may he rest in piss.


	2. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata frowned, a bit sad that his new friend had to leave. "Aw, okay, Suou-kun. Will you drop by tomorrow?"
> 
> "I will try my best, Aoi-kun. Stay safe until then, alright?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh golly gee a new chapter! tbh i like challenging myself when writing, so this is probably gonna jump perspectives a lot!! just a heads up.

The next morning, everything seemed normal. For now, at least.

 

Tsukasa was the first to wake up. A yawn left him as he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he checked his e-ID. The built-in clock read 7 o’clock on the dot, and soon to follow was a chime coming from the school speakers as an announcement letting everyone know it was morning played.

 

So it was day two…

 

Part of him wanted to believe it was all a bad dream. But with the fact that he had woken up on the uncomfortable floor of the classroom and Arashi and Ritsu still sleeping peacefully next to him told him that the notion of everything being a nightmare was very, very slim. It was scary, the fact this was his new reality.

 

Negative thoughts began to flood his mind. What if he was the first to die? What if he was forced to kill someone later on? What if he lived long enough to see everyone he cared about die?

 

He did not want to think about it.

 

Instead, he decided to get up and take a walk. He moved towards the door, turning toward his sleeping unit mates. Surely, they would wake up soon enough. They could always look for him if they got worried. He sighed, sliding open the door and walking out.

 

Maybe he would drop by and check up on Hinata. He was pretty upset yesterday, and understandably so. After all, his brother was trapped on the other side of that ominous steel wall. He didn’t really consider himself too close with either of the Aoi twins, but he found himself wanting to be closer with them if he was going to be honest, and he was in the same class as Yuuta, so he wasn’t sure why he had never spoken to either of them before.

 

Perhaps it was his own negligence, or maybe the fact that he still was not sure how to speak to commoners.

 

Either way, it was likely a good idea to check up on Hinata. There was just the small issue of finding him. The redhead wandered the halls, checking the rooms he passed by. No sign of him yet… Tsukasa was starting to get incredibly worried. What if Hinata was…?

 

It was only when he checked the next room when a flood of relief washed over him.

 

Hinata was huddled up in the corner of the Light Music club room, Rei and Koga shockingly absent from the scene. Maybe they had gone out to investigate their half of Yumenosaki…? Tsukasa could only hope. He called out the other boy.

 

“Aoi-kun?”

 

Hinata’s head shot up, eyes turning toward the doorway to look at the rich boy. “Eh? Suou-kun, is that you?” The usually cheerful boy tilted his head, looking puzzled. What was he doing here?

 

“I came over to check up on you. You seemed very upset yesterday, so I was worried. Where are Oogami-senpai and Sakuma-senpai?” Tsukasa stepped into the room, glancing around. The first thing that caught his eye was the coffin. Why was that there?! He felt it was impolite to ask out loud.

 

“They left earlier to go explore and see if there’s some sort of opening in the wall. I really hope they find one… I miss Yuuta-kun.” The member of 2wink rested his head on his knees, a sad look in his eyes. The redhead frowned slightly, pitying him. He and his brother must be very close.

 

Actually, aside from when they were in class, Tsukasa could not recall a time when they were ever separated for a long period of time. Every time he ever saw the twins, they had always been together. It was reasonable that Hinata was this upset. Being an only child himself, he couldn’t really imagine what it was like having a sibling and being close to them. The closest he ever had to a sibling was Arashi, who doted on him like an older sister would.

 

The wealthy teen stepped closer to Hinata, kneeling down in front of him to be at eye-level with him. “Don’t worry, Aoi-kun! I’m positive you will see your brother soon. Who knows, maybe there is some sort of secret breach in the wall that we can get him through.” Tsukasa offered a reassuring smile to the other boy as he spoke, though in truth, he thought the idea was unlikely. He didn’t like lying to his peer, but the wall seemed extremely secure. “We just have to stay positive!”

 

Hinata stared at the other boy as he spoke, his head slowly perking up at his words. A small smile appeared on his face, visibly cheering up. “Yeah, you’re right…! Thanks, Suou-kun!” The boy returned to his usual bubbly demeanor, sitting up with a grin. “Hey, could you keep me company while I wait for Oogami-senpai and Sakuma-senpai? Being alone like this makes me kinda uneasy, y’know?”

 

Tsukasa nodded, shifting so he was sitting next to the other first year. “You’re welcome, Aoi-kun. I’m glad to be of some  _ assistance _ .” The rich boy smiled back at the cheerful boy, a bit relieved. “I know I might not be the best of  _ company _ , especially since we’ve never really spoken before, but I’d never leave someone alone in this situation.”

 

Especially with the possibility that anyone could be killed at any time. It was a scary thought, to be sure.

 

“It’s fine! You seem like a pretty nice guy.” Hinata seemed visibly relaxed by now, which was reassuring. “So, Suou-kun, you’re an only child, right? What’s that like?” The boy asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

 

Tsukasa thought about it for a second, reflecting on the bubbly teen’s question. “Ah… Well, it’s certainly quiet. It does get lonely sometimes, I suppose, but otherwise, it’s not a problem.” Being the sole heir to the Suou family, he had a lot of responsibility on his hands. Of course, he wasn’t going to lie and say that he did not wish for someone to share that responsibility with him.

 

“I see… I couldn’t imagine being an only child! It seems really lonely. But I guess we’re different, huh?” Hinata propped his chin on his hand, staring at the redhead with wide, inquisitive eyes. 

 

Tsukasa couldn’t really help the blush that was slowly rising on his face. Being stared at like this was starting to make him feel embarrassed. Was this a commoner thing? He wasn’t entirely sure. “Well, of course we are. I mean, it would be pretty boring if everyone were alike, wouldn’t it? Besides that, the two of us have very different upbringings, so it only makes sense that we are different.”

 

The other first year nodded in agreement. “Yeah yeah, I get what you mean!”

 

The two continued talking to each other for a while, asking each other about hobbies, interests, favorite foods, and the like. It wasn't until Rei and Koga came back hours later that they stopped.

 

“My my, I didn't know you invited a friend over, Aoi-kun. Did you get lonely while I was taking Doggie for a walk?” The third year questioned, his tone carrying amusement.

 

Said ‘dog’ shot a glare at the older teen before looking at his two juniors, slightly less embittered, “And before you ask, we didn't find any holes in the wall. Shit’s secure. It really pisses me off.”

 

Hinata pouted. “Oh… Well, hopefully we can find a way through! Until then, I can talk to Suoh-kun! He's been here since this morning to keep me company!” The twin’s face lit back up as he spoke, appreciative of the wealthier boy’s efforts to comfort him while the two older teens were out.

 

“Is that so? Well, I'm glad my dear Aoi-kun had a friend to play with. I felt awful leaving you alone like this.” Rei smiled, patting the older Aoi on the head.

 

“Bullshit! You told me when we left that he'd be fine by himself!” Koga barked, an irritated expression on his face. Rei brought a hand up to the gray-haired boy’s head, petting his hair.

 

“Now now, Doggie, you should really learn some manners. We have Knights’ first year here! An esteemed guest deserves better hosts, no?”

 

Tsukasa let out a quiet chuckle. “It's quite alright, Sakuma-senpai. I've dealt with more impolite company than this.” 

 

He didn't know why, but being around this new group of people was… Refreshing. While he liked being around his own club and unit just fine, there was something charming about being around these three. He could get used to it.

 

However, that would be for another day. It was beginning to get late, and Tsukasa could only begin to imagine how worried Arashi would be by now.

 

Checking his e-ID, he looked at the time. 9:43 PM. Wincing, he tucked the device back in his pocket before speaking. “Ah, excuse me, but I should be getting back to my room. I'm sure Ritsu-senpai and Narukami-senpai were  _ surprised _ to find me gone when they woke up. I'm shocked they haven't come looking for me, to be honest.”

 

Hinata frowned, a bit sad that his new friend had to leave. “Aw, okay, Suou-kun. Will you drop by tomorrow?”

 

“I will try my best, Aoi-kun. Stay safe until then, alright?”

 

The headphone-clad boy nodded, hugging the redhead tightly. “I will, promise! I've got Oogami-senpai and Sakuma-senpai to protect me!”

 

Smiling, Tsukasa hugged the his fellow first year in return. “I'll stay safe, too. Narukami-senpai and Ritsu-senpai promised to protect me.”

 

The four bid their farewells, with Rei adding on a request to say hello to his brother for him. Considering how negatively Ritsu spoke of the third year, he could imagine how unenthused he would be when he told him.

 

Regardless, Tsukasa left in a good mood.

 

However, that mood soon changed when he felt someone grab him, a sharp pain in his side soon to follow.

 

Tsukasa let out a pained cry as the assailant twisted the knife, pushing it in deeper into his flesh. He was sure it hit something vital at that point, and the fact that they kept twisting the knife made him sure that he was going to die.

 

A vaguely familiar voice caught his ears as the attacker spoke, their tone reluctant, “Don't hold this against me.”

 

The teen felt the blade rip out of him, his body hitting the floor as he bled out heavily. He was starting to get light-headed, but he could swear he felt tears roll down his cheeks.

 

Why him? Why now? It just was not fair.

 

The last thoughts on Tsukasa’s mind before he slowly slipped into unconsciousness were, “Maybe this is for the best…”

  
And then the night time announcement played.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> betcha didn't see that comin' now did ya? :3c  
> once again, feedback is encouraged and welcomed!! especially when it comes to writing characters!!! lord knows i need help writing them.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking over at Ritsu, the blonde bit her lip. She almost wasn’t ready to who killed Tsukasa, but… She knew that if they could not end up finding the killer, everyone else would die alongside the deceased heir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so!!! this took a while for me to write bc im not really confident in my ability to write investigation scenes?? and i kept getting stuck? so sorry if a lot of this seems monotonous or boring or anything the investigations will probably all be like that im sorry.  
> hoo boy this was a long chapter though

Come the next morning, Arashi woke up incredibly distressed. Tsukasa had gone missing the day before, and while Ritsu assured her that he was okay and safe, the fact that the first year never returned and still was seemingly still missing only led the young woman into further worry.

 

“Ritsu-chan, he’s still not back… Should we go looking for him?”

 

The still sleepy Ritsu looked at the girl, eyes glazed over in drowsiness. Rubbing at his eyes, he said while yawning, “Yeah… If Suu-chan hasn’t come back, we should probably go see if he’s okay…”

 

The two left, Arashi pulling the tired boy along in haste, stopping dead in her tracks in shock as she spotted what looked like blood on the ground, a knife not far from the scene.

 

The blood smeared, leading into a storage closet, footprints leading away from it in the direction Arashi and Ritsu were initially headed in before disappearing abruptly at a certain point.

 

She was shaking, swallowing the lump in her throat before carefully sliding the closet open.

 

What she saw made her cover her mouth and tears fill her eyes.

 

Tsukasa was slumped against the wall, his skin completely colorless and his head lolled to the side, pressed against the wall. The right side of his uniform was heavily stained with blood. His blood.

 

Ritsu pulled the younger second year close, covering her eyes. The sight had snapped him back to consciousness, and seeing his junior like this was simply heartbreaking.

 

Now there were three members of Knights left.

 

While Ritsu and Arashi were staring in shock at their deceased unit mate, the older Sakuma had spotted the two second years from a distance and hurried over to them. Now what could his younger brother be staring so intently at. “Ritsu? Are you alright? What are you-”   
  
Then he saw it.

 

The black-haired second year looked at his brother, almost wanting to be irritated with him for walking up to him so casually like this. Not that he could bring himself to do it, though. Not right now.

 

A chime played from the speakers, alerting the three teens.

 

“ _A body had been discovered! Investigation time starts in one minute!_ ” The familiar, distorted voice said, carrying their cheerful tone through the halls of the school.

 

Loud, metal clangs soon followed, the steel wall lowering, reuniting the halves of the school. The hallways started to come to life, students rushing out of their rooms as they sought out their friends, family, and other such loved ones. Slowly, they all eventually gathered where the crime was committed, and Hinata rushed to the front where Arashi, Ritsu, and Rei were, pulling his brother along.

 

Hinata’s eyes were filled with sadness as he stared down at the slumped over redhead, tightly holding onto his brother’s hand. “Suou-kun…?”

 

How did this happen?

 

A loud ‘beep’ came from everyone’s e-IDs, the first to check being Arashi.

 

The screen showed a casefile, seemingly filled with details of Tsukasa’s death.

 

_ Victim name: Tsukasa Suou _

_ Time of Death: 11:58 PM _

_ Body was found on the third floor’s storage closet on the east side of the school. _

_ Cause of death is a wound on the victim’s lower right side inflicted by a sharp object that was twisted inside of him. The victim then bled out from the injury and died. _

 

Arashi bit her lip. She could only wonder who would do this to the boy. The same boy who she cared about as if he were a younger brother.

 

“ _ Alright, idols, investigation time starts now! _ ” The voice from the speaker exclaimed, voice dripping with cheer despite the grim situation.

 

The idea of investigating her dead friend’s body made the blonde shake. She didn't want to do this. It felt… Disrespectful. Nonetheless, she might as well help out as much as she could.

 

After all, this was to find the first year’s killer.

 

The group scattered apart, everyone moving to do their part in the investigation process. The only ones who stayed near the body were Arashi, Ritsu, Rei, and the twins.

 

The blonde glanced over at the other three, a curious look in her eyes. “Hey… I know this might be really unlikely, but… Do you happen to know where Tsukasa was before he ended up like this?”

 

She saw Hinata bite his lip before opening his mouth to speak, “He came to the Light Music club room yesterday… We talked and hung out for the entire day before he had to go.”

 

Rei nodded in agreement. “I remember that he had left around 9:43 PM. That was a few minutes after Doggie and I had come back from trying to find a breach in the wall.”

 

“But I swear, I didn’t do this!! I didn’t leave the club room at all after Suou-kun left.” The pink twin added, “Sakuma-senpai can vouch for me.”

 

Arashi looked over at the older Sakuma, waiting for a confirmation.

 

“He’s right. Doggie and I told him not to leave at all since it was nearly night time.”

 

“Alright… I have no reason not to believe you. I’m at least glad that he was having fun before he died…” Arashi glanced back over to the bloody scene in the supply closet before making a note of Hinata’s alibi. The information was useful.

 

Meanwhile, Ritsu had walked off to examine the footprints leading away from the scene. He took a few pictures, putting them in the evidence log for future use, making notes of how the footprints abruptly ended. The footprints looked as if they were left by sneakers, though that could mean it could be almost anyone. However, it was still incredibly strange how they just… Stopped.

 

Though, soon, the second year noticed something he hadn’t noticed before.

 

Looking closer at the footprints, he noticed that where they ended and the way they ended, the person must have stopped running altogether. For what reason, Ritsu couldn't say, but it was something of note nonetheless. Furthermore, they stopped right next to the floor’s bathroom.

 

Walking into the bathroom, the younger Sakuma quickly noticed the faint red that stained the sink. Looking in the trash can, he saw several damp, slightly bloody paper towels. From this, the black-haired boy made the conclusion that whoever murdered the poor first year must have come in here to wash the blood from their shoes.

 

He decided to take pictures, thinking that they could be useful evidence.

 

Arashi swallowed the lump in her throat as she walked closer to Tsukasa’s body, crouching down. There had to be something that could be used as evidence. While she really didn't want to, she carefully checked the redhead’s body for any clues or signs pointing to who the killer could be.

 

No luck.

 

Frowning, the second year quickly stood up, stepping away from the body and turning away. She couldn't bear to look any longer. Instead, she walked over to the knife laying on the ground nearby.  Sure enough, it was covered in blood. There was hardly any doubt that it was the murder weapon. And the murderer did not even bother to hide it or get rid of it at all… They must be either really be confident that they wouldn’t get caught or incredibly foolish.

 

Arashi took a picture and saved it to the evidence log, mostly just for reference.

 

Later on, she met up with Ritsu again, recounting the evidence the two had collected.

 

“Natchan, should we go check where the killer may have gotten the knife…?” Ritsu asked. “I mean, it seems unlikely that they simply had it on their person before this happened, you know?”

 

The blonde nodded. “Yeah, definitely. Though, it looks like just a kitchen knife, so I think we have a general idea of where it came from?”

 

“You have a point, but there's no harm in checking, right?”

 

Seeing no real issue with the boy’s reasoning, the two headed down to the kitchen, and, sure enough, one of the knives were missing. Ritsu pulled out his e-ID, taking a picture of the area where the knife was missing.

 

Nearby, the other second year caught sight of a red-stained rag, walking over to it and examining it. It appeared as if someone had cut their hand and tried to wipe off the blood on it. She took a picture, thinking it could be at least somewhat useful. Not to mention, if she remembered correctly, she did see a very faint trace of blood on the handle of the knife.

 

Soon, the speakers played a chime, followed by the familiar, distorted voice of this mystery mastermind, “ _Alright idols! Investigation time is over! Head outside to the fountain so we can start the Class Trial!_ ”

 

Looking over at Ritsu, the blonde bit her lip. She almost wasn’t ready to who killed Tsukasa, but… She knew that if they could not end up finding the killer, everyone else would die alongside the deceased heir.

  
The black haired teen gently took her hand in his before walking outside the school with her, heading toward the fountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is the trial yayyyyy  
> again, feedback is always a welcome thing dont hesitate to leave any


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